Apparatus for distributing a fire preventing and extinguishing composition



Oct. 26 1926. 1,604,290

. J. c. KIN APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING A FIRE PREVENTING ANDEXTINGUISHING COMPOSITION,

1 Filed July 23, 1925 INVENTOR JOHN c. KING.

A ORNEY ing nozzle directed Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

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FICE.

Ann nxrmemsnme npplicatien filed duly 28, 1925. Serial No. MAW.

This invention relates to apparatus for distributing a fire preventingand extinguishin composition.

lBroa ly the present invention consists of a means for spraying afire-extinguisher from the air, by. means of. storage tanks borne byairplanes, these tanks helng situated below and at the sides of thefusela e in such-a manner as to afiect but slightly, if at all, thegravity of the machine under flying conditions, the tank arrangementbeing preferably three in number, with the largest in the center flankedupon either side by a smaller, these two being oi'f equal size andconnected with the central one by passaes permitting the liquid to flowfrom one to te.

other in maintenance of equilibrium, the central tank being providedwith a s rayrearvvardly and ownwardly from the fuselage and controlledby a valve operable by the pilot ot the airplane, for the government ofliquid distribution.

This means of fire-fighting, especially forest, grass, or grain fires,has many and decided advantages over the ordinary ones usually em loyedin such emergencies, providing the reghter with an elevated point ofobservation, a speedy means for change of lield of action, and thefacilities for covering speedily large areas with an eflective anti-pyrocomposition, this eficiency being of equal value in fire prevention andfire extinguishment. I

The principal object of this invention is the provision of means forshowering, or spraying,a fire preventing and extinguishing element uponwooded, or other areas, either as a precaution against fires or fortheir extinguishment once started.

Other objectsand advantages of this invention will appear as thisspecification progresses and be brought out more-clearly in the claimhereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which sunilar characters of reference refer to like parts,throughout,

Figure l is a perspective view of an'airplane in flight, showing anembodiment of my invention in the form of elongated tanks,

referably three in number, secured in place helow the lower wing of theplane and connected together by passages, the central tank carrying asprayingnozzle at its rear extremity adapted to spray liquid from theits rear end carrying tanks in a fan-like shower directed rearvvardlyfrom the plane, to fall in shower upon the area to be covered andcontrollable by the pilot of the machine;

lgure 2 is an enlarged front elevation, showing the arrangement of theseveral tanks, together with their Figure 3 is an enlarged sideelevation, partly ln'section, of the rear portion of the central tank,showing its reduced neck at g the valve and spraying nozzle, and thevalve operating mechanism. Referring in greater detail to the draw lngs,and with reference more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, 1 indicates anordinary a rplane comprised of wings and fuselage 2, to which areattacheda plurality of elongated tanks 3, t and 5 by means of straps, orlike supports, 6 and 7, the tanks being constructed to conform as nearlyas may be to the contour of the fuselage and fitted tightlythereagainst, as represented at 8, 9 and 10, n Figure 2, and extendingtherealong with stream-line efiect and. central digmetcrs greater thanthose of their extremiies.

{The smaller tanks 3 and 5 are oppositely dis osed along the sides ofthe fuselage, wit the larger tank 4 intermediate these but directlybeneath the fuselage and extending in a direction tudinal axis, withcapacities, respectivel of 7 5 gallons each for the smaller ones an 100gallons for the lar er one.

I The flanking t s 3 and 5 are connected, respectively, to the centralone 4 b short pipe-line connections 11 and 12, orming a commonpassageway between all three tanks, permittin freely from flan 'ingtanks into the central one when flying in anapproximate horizontalplane, or from tank to tank seeking the lower level, when banking, tomaintain stable equilibrium.

The smaller tanks 3 and 5 are provided with filling necks 13 and 14bearlng caps 15 and 16, as a means through which the three tanks mayreceive their liquid charges.

.The posterior extension of the tank 4 projects downwardly at an angularinclination to that of the longitudinal axis of the tank, terminating ina goose-neck l7 threaded at its lower end 18 for the reception of asprayconnections; and

paralleling its longithe liquid content to flow ing-nozzle '19, as shownin Fi ures 1 and Jill lever 30, located Within the fuselage andconveniently reached by pilot or observer. i A telescope may be mountedon the weelage at any point convenient for observation, sis indicated by31, and suitably supported lay swiveled bearing and braces 32, for theready detection and location of fires in areas being flown over.

The filling caps may he provided With valves 33 and 34:, through whichpressure may le supplied the tanks; it it be desired to employ thismeans as a force in their discharge, on, through their opening, toprovide breathing vents for the admission of atmospheric pressure tofacilitate the flow of the contained liquid.

Having thus described any invention, l claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

neoaaeo lln a device of the character described, the combination of anairplane, three liquid bearing tanks attached to the outer surface ofthe fuselage of the airplane and extending longitudinally thereof, theinner Walls of said tanks being so shaped as to conform to the contourof the Walls of said fuselage and triangularlv positioned relative toeach i other, the flanking tanks being of like form and equal incapacity and positioned in a common plane below and paralleling that ofthe horizontal plane of the longitudinal axis of the airplanes fuselage,the central tank being of a capacity not less than that of a flankingtank and positioned below the inselage, the said flanking tanks havingconnecting passageways leading to said central tank to permit the freeflow of liquid from tank to tank to maintain equilibrium, the centraltank being provided with a real- Wardly projecting neck hearing avalve-controlled spraying nozzle and valve-actuating connectionsextending from said" spraying nozzle to the ioclrpit of "he airplane forcon trolling the fluid discharge through said nozzle.

in testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

Jill-IN C. KlNG.

